Palestine Film Festival 2012 London
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th 20 v apr g il- rd .or 3 ilm m ef ay tin es al n p do n o l 12 0 esti 2 al ne p f il m f e s t i v a l contents welcome welcome to the 2012 festival p. 1 welcome to the schedule in brief & thanks p. 2 2012 london palestine film festival navigations: palestinian video art, 1988-2011 p. 4 the 15th edition of the festival so far, highlights p. 6 and our 8th edition with venue partner the barbican events for schools and young people p. 8 Since 1998, the Festival has developed as a unique cultural space for UK events in chronological order p. 9 audiences to engage with the subject of Palestine in fresh and thought- provoking ways. By showcasing work across all genres, and by emphasising festival speakers p. 31 screen talks and premieres, programmes have explored a wonderful diversity of film and video work related to Palestine. Celebrating the successes of established directors, Festivals have also aimed to surprise with less familiar content – whether rare archive works, experimental interventions, or pre- release sneak-peaks. In this respect, 2012 is perhaps our most expansive and the 2012 london palestine film festival is made exciting programme to date. possible through the support of the following funding and programme partners: The 2012 Festival maps nearly a century of filmmaking in Palestine. The latest Palestinian works include Opening Night premiere, Man Without a Cell Phone by Sameh Zoabi, and psychological drama Last Days in Jerusalem by Cannes-awardee Tawfik Abu Wael. The past is well served here too with a rare chance to find Palestine in the British imperial film archives and an exclusive book talk by Ella Shohat on the history and politics of Israeli cinema. Key rediscoveries include Susan Sontag’s only documentary, Promised Lands, and a remarkable French-Maoist Palestine manifesto – L’Olivier. More contemporary work is on show with two screen events tracing new directions in Palestinian short filmmaking, and an exhibition of cutting-edge video art running alongside the film programme. Global engagements with Palestine are also focal this year, with recent work by artists including Ursula Biemann, Mike Hoolboom, and Travis Wilkerson. The programme then reaches “Beyond Palestine” with two screen events exploring regional issues and film practices through powerful works on Syria and Western Sahara. With more than 50 works by artists from 16 countries, and with daily opportunities to discuss material with a stellar cast of guest speakers, we hope you’ll find this year’s Festival a rewarding excursion through a century of film on Palestine! LPFF on social media & web: #LPFF12 with programme changes, special offers, and forthcoming palestine film foundation @londonPFF palestinefilm.org events, follow us on facebook or join our email bulletin: palestinefilm.org cover still from Eid, saaheb collective, 2011. cover design: piccia neri 20th april to 3rd may 20th april to 3rd may schedule in brief & thanks schedule in brief & thanks friday 20th april monday 23rd april friday 27th april tuesday 1st may 19:30, barbican cinema (opening gala) 18:15, barbican cinema 18:15, khalili lecture theatre, SOAS 18:15, the darwin theatre, ucl Man Without a Cell Phone + Q&A “Beyond Palestine”: Syria Films & Talk: Palestinian Refugees after L’Olivier (The Olive Farmer) (see p. 9) The Long Night + Introduction the Iraq War (see p. 27) (see p. 16) Displaced Lives + Palestine in the South saturday 21st april wednesday 2nd may 20:30, barbican cinema (see p. 24) 15:30, barbican cinema Lacan Palestine + Q&A 18:15, the darwin theatre, ucl sunday 29th april Man Without a Cell Phone + Yala to the (see p. 17) My Father from Haifa Moon + Q&A 15:00, khalili lecture theatre, SOAS (see p. 28) (see p. 10) tuesday 24th april Sports Sunday: A Triple-Bill thursday3rd may 18:15, barbican cinema 18:15, barbican cinema Women in the Stadium + Inshallah “Politics as Art” Triple-Bill My Land + Eid Beijing + Free Running, Gaza 18:15, the darwin theatre, ucl Sand Creek Equation + X-Mission (see p. 18) (see p. 25) “The Spring of Young Palestinian + End of September Women Filmmakers”: Shorts curated 20:30, barbican cinema monday 30th april (see p. 11) “Beyond Palestine”: Western Sahara by Shashat + Panel 18:15, the darwin theatre, ucl 20:00, barbican cinema The Problem + Talk (see pp. 29-30) Film & Talk, The Druze in Israel: Gaza Hospital + Panel (see p. 19) Back to One’s Roots (see p. 12) wednesday 25th april (see p. 26) sunday 22nd april 18:15, barbican cinema 16:00, barbican cinema Promised Lands + The Beautiful Ashkenaz + The Choice + Introduction Language + Introduction (see p. 13) (see p. 20) the festival relies upon the generosity and expertise of 18:15, barbican cinema scores of filmmakers, artists, speakers, and partners. 20:30, barbican cinema their faith and practical support is invaluable. a New Palestinian Fiction: 5 Short Last Days in Jerusalem+ Diary of particular thanks goes to festival patron karma nabulsi, Dramas a Male Whore and to the cinema, marketing, and creative learning teams Flower Seller + Haneen + The Well (see p. 21) at the barbican centre. + First Lesson + Birth (see p. 14) thursday 26th april many individuals have given of their skills, time and effort 20:00, barbican cinema 19:00, khalili lecture theatre, SOAS to make the festival possible. we are especially indebted British Colonial Film in Palestine + Panel Book Talk: Ella Shohat’s Israeli Cinema to salma abu ayyash, andrea becker, Zaki boulos, haim (see p. 15) + Reception bresheeth, francis gooding, reem haddad, andy hague, (see pp. 22-23) dema abu issa, rachel leah jones, gil leung (LUX), john macdonald, monica maurer, piccia neri, nekane requejo de OzamiZ, omar jabary salamanca, rasha salti, emily seed, reem shilleh, samia tabari, tejinder toujal (ICA), osnat trabelsi, robin yassin-kassab, nadia yaqub, mohanad yaqubi, and mohamad Zantout. 2 3 th th 6 april to 27 april barbican, mezzanine navigations: palestinian video art, 1988-2011 basma alsharif / AYREEN ANASTAS / taysir batniji / shadi habib allah / MONA HATOUM / khaled jarrar / khalil rabah / jayce salloum & elia suleiman / larissa sansour / SHARIF WAKED / manar Zoabi The 5th annual exhibition accompanying the Festival is the first dedicated to video art. Navigations: Palestinian Video Art, 1988-2011 surveys key work by artists practicing in top left: transit, taysir batniji, 2004 Palestine as well as internationally. Wilfully top right: Journey 110, khaled jarrar, 2009 eclectic, the works assembled illustrate some of the breadth of conceptual, technical, and aesthetic trajectories being charted by Palestinian video artists since the 1980s, and particularly during the current era. top: the king & the Jester, shadi habib allah, 2010 centre: we began by measuring distance, basma alsharif, 2009 bottom: transit, taysir batniji, 2004 centre: in between, manar Zoabi, 2005-. performance. photograph: issa freij, al ma’mal foundation bottom: Journey 110, khalid jarrar, 2009 curated by the palestine film foundation with artschool palestine. 4 5 highlights highlights friday 20th & saturday 21st april monday 23rd & tuesday 24th april see the film with a special introduction by monday 30th april 19:30 & 15.30, barbican cinema 18.15 &20.15, barbican cinema preeminent critical theorist Ella Shohat. 18.15, UCL, darwin theatre Man Without a Cell Phone “Beyond Palestine” (see p. 20) Druze in Israel: Screening and talk This year’s Opening Gala (repeated on the The 2012 Festival includes two sessions wednesday 25th april Little discussed, and rarely fully understood Saturday) is the UK Premiere of Sameh Zoabi’s exploring topics “Beyond Palestine” through 20.45, barbican cinema beyond specialist circles, the situation of the groundbreaking film and debate. On Monday Druze minority in Israel is tackled in-depth quirky generational comedy Man Without a Last Days in Jerusalem Cell Phone. Join the award-winning Palestinian 23rd, Syrian writer Wassim Al-Adel will with this screening and talk. Bilal Yousef’s director in conversation with Festival patron introduce Hatem Ali’s searing cinematic Director Tawfik Abu Wael won the documentary Back to One’s Roots asks probing Karma Nabulsi (Friday) and film critic Carmen critique of Syria’s Assad regime, The Long International Critics Prize at Cannes with questions about the conscription of Druze to Gray (Saturday). Night (2009). Then, on Tuesday 24th attention his 2004 debut Atash/Thirst. This hotly- the Israeli army. This is followed by an expert (see pp. 9-10) turns to the Western Sahara, with Jordi Ferrer anticipated follow-up is a taut emotional drama talk on the situation of the Druze in Israel by and Pablo Vidal’s devastating exposé of the that follows one couple’s wrenching final Kais Firro of Haifa University. saturday 21st april savage Moroccan occupation, The Problem days as they prepare to leave Jerusalem for (see p. 26) 20.00, barbican cinema (2010), followed by a crucial screen talk. Paris. Shown with Abu Wael’s rarely-seen and Gaza Hospital (see p. 16 & p. 19) controversial 2001 short, Diary of a thursday 3rd may Male Whore. Co-presented with Medical Aid for Palestinians 18.15, UCL, darwin theatre monday 23rd april (see p. 21) (MAP) and marking the 30th anniversary of 20.30, barbican cinema The Spring of Young Palestinian the fall of Beirut, this masterly documentary Lacan Palestine thursday 26th april Women Filmmakers chronicling the rise and fall of the PLO’s 19.00, soas, klt The Festival closes with an event focusing on primary medical facility in Lebanon is followed If you like your cinema epic, complex, Book Talk – Ella Shohat’s Israeli Cinema the rise of young Palestinian women filmmakers. by a panel debate involving director Marco and overall spectacular, then this UK Guest curated by Palestinian women’s film NGO Pasquini, revolutionary filmmaker Monica Premiere of award-winning Canadian artist Ella Shohat is Professor of Cultural Studies and Shashat, and showcasing a series of shorts made Maurer, and veteran Gaza Hospital surgeon Dr Mike Hoolboom’s Lacan Palestine is for you.